Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership and the Project...

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Leadership and the Project Manager

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 4-2

Leadership

“The ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are needed to achieve organizational goals.”

Project management is leader intensive!


Leaders Vs. Managers

Managers have official titles in an organizationThe word manager Leaders focus on interpersonal relationships rather

than administration

Important differences exist between the two on:

•Creation of purpose •Outcomes

•Network development •Execution

•Focus timeframe


How the Project Manager Leads

Project managers function as mini-CEOs and manage both “hard” technical details and “soft” people issues.

Project managers: acquire project resources motivate and build teams have a vision and fight fires communicate


Acquiring Resources

Project can be under funded for a variety of reasons:

vague goals

no sponsor

requirements understated

insufficient funds

distrust between managers


Communication

It is critical for a project manager to maintain strong contact with all stakeholders

Project meetings feature task oriented and group maintenance behaviors and serve to:

• update all participants

• increase understanding & commitment

• make decisions

• provide visibility


Traits of Effective Project Leaders

A number of studies on effective project leadership reveal these common themes:

Good communication

Flexibility to deal with ambiguity

Work well with project team

Skilled at various influence tactics


Project Managers who are not Leaders


Leading & Time Orientation

Alignment• timeline orientation• future time perspective• time span• poly/monochronic• time conception

Skills• warping• creating future vision• chunking time• predicting• recapturing the past


What are Project Champions?

„Champions are fanatics in the single-minded pursuit of their pet ideas.”

Champions can be:

• creative originators

• entrepreneurs

• godfathers or sponsors

• project managers


Champion Roles

Traditional Duties• technical understanding• leadership• coordination & control• obtaining resources• administrative

Nontraditional Duties• cheerleader• visionary• politician• risk taker• ambassador


Creating Project Champions

Identify and encourage their emergence

Encourage and reward risk takers

Remember the emotional connection

Free champions from traditional management


The New Project Leadership

Four competencies determine a project leader’s success:

1. Understanding and practicing the power of appreciation

2. Reminding people what’s important

3. Generating and sustaining trust

4. Aligning with the led


Project Management Professionalism

o Project work is becoming the standard for many organizations

o There is a critical need to upgrade the skills of current project workers

o Project managers and support personnel need dedicated career paths


Creating Project Managers

Match personalities with project work Formalize commitment to project work with

training programs

Develop a unique reward system

Identify a distinct career path


Optional homework for 5%

• Case study 4.3: Problems with John from Text Book (Pinto)


Thank you for your attention!

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Leadership and the Project...

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